In this video we talk about the cost of divorce and how you can avoid increasing the cost even when you ex-spouse tries to increase the bill. Watch the video below or read the transcription to learn more!
Alright, today, I’m talking with Allyson Hilliard about the cost of divorce and some attorney fees that go with that. How much will my divorce cost?
It all depends on the situation. If you have an agreement, if you don’t have an agreement, of course those factors will come into play. And, also, what issues are at stake. Is alimony going to be an issue for you or your spouse? Or, are there children involve? Parenting, child support. So there’s really no straight answer for that. It all depends on the situation. What can I do to control that cost of divorce? I would say pick your battles, be reasonable. Let me know what is important to you. I always encourage my clients not to fight over something that they don’t really care about or something that’s nominal. You don’t fight about a couch or a chair or something like that because it’s going to be more expensive to fight over that than just going out and buying new. But, I would say just be reasonable, be practical, and remember your goals. And, finality is always priceless.
What are steps that my ex spouse may take to increase the cost of divorce on my end if they were being petty or say hateful?
I would say paper overload or filing frivolous motions. Trying to continue hearings over and over and over. Having their attorney send a lot of letters or emails. Maybe picking fights with my client. Not returning their kids. Just little petty stuff, and that’s kind of goes back to to the first question.
How can I control the cost?
Be reasonable. Don’t let those battles make you come to me and me have to file something. So it is I guess two questions into one. Just be reasonable and practical.
Will I have to pay my spouse’s attorney’s fees?
That all depends on the situation 48 1 305 and 48 5 6 11 of the West Virginia code goes into the provisions that the court does look at. I always tell my clients, “You don’t go into a divorce expecting them to pay your fees. Can you always ask for more? Of course, you can. Is the judge going to award it? I don’t know. But, we can always file a petition and seek it.” But the answer to that is we really don’t know until we get in there and see how the case progresses.
What can I do if my spouse unreasonably increases the attorney fees that I incur? Is there any recourse? Anything that if they’re filing a lot of paperwork overload, anything I can do to avoid that?
I would say keep track of it on your end, and I’ll keep track of it on my my end, and then file a petition for fees, and ask for all the fees and cost that you had to incur unnecessarily because of their conduct.
Well, thank you so much.
